Rise Of The Walls (Parts 1 - 3 only)
by you741
Summary: This series takes place 100 years before the anime. It starts when the first titans started appearing. Most of the content in this series is based off my speculation on how the walls came to be (though not identical). I am also a little graphic, as there is killing and I do describe how the humans get eaten, but if you like SNK you'll understand :D
1. Part 1 - The First Titan

**Rise of the Walls**

_Part 1 – The First Titan_

_By: you741_

_**This story takes place when the titans first started appearing. The information in this story is just based off speculation and has nothing to do with what the author of the real manga plans. Enjoy my speculation (it takes a while until you see the relation to the anime/manga, but eventually you'll see some small relations). By the way, I might be a little graphic with the violence, so viewer discretion is advised.**_

**Year 735 – Outside Unknown City in Germany**

My name is Eric. Eric Yeager. I was born and raised in this rural farm. Our closest neighbors are hours away.  
My father died 5 years ago, when I was 7, of an illness. The doctors had no idea what it was. I lived with my mother, and often helped her clean.

"ERIC! Come down and help me clean the kitchen please!" my mother yelled.

I started down the stairs, not even replying to my mother.

I was a quiet kid. Never spoke much. I also didn't like to talk to strangers, I have xenophobia. It might be because of the strange man that lives a couple hours south. He was always in his house, strange sounds coming out of it. Sometimes he would come out in order to collect some sticks and leaves on the ground. One time I saw him holding a dead squirrel.

My mom told me he was an eccentric scientist, who never really had a social life, or a childhood. That's because he spent all of his childhood studying, in order to join this famous university. They thought he was improper to be a student at their school. He had no parents, nor did he ever go to school, so they didn't let him in the university. Since that day, he has been obsessed with an experiment he was working on. No one knew what it was, as it was in the basement of his house, and no one dared to approach the madman. Although some people say he kidnapped small children and tested his experiments on them.

Since the day I heard about him, I never wanted to talk to strangers anymore.

"ERIC! Are you listening? I said come down!" my mother yelled again.

My mother's name was Maria. Since father died, she has never been the same. At night, she wouldn't sleep. I could hear her cry sometimes. As for me, I became far less talkative the day he died.

It was 5 minutes later when I finally finished helping mother clean the kitchen. I am a pretty fast cleaner.

"All done Mom", I said

"Thanks, son", she replied.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake.

_What could be happening? We rarely get earthquakes, and they are _never_ this powerful!_ I thought. Then, I looked out the window.

It was one of the most horrifying experiences I ever had. Outside my window, instead of blue sky and green grass as usual, there was…

A _giant_ face! Staring straight at me!

_Danger_, I thought, _I don't know what the giant wants, but it must be dangerous!_

"MOM!" I yelled, "GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!"

Mom was on the floor cleaning. She started to get up, but before she could, a giant piece of the ceiling came down upon her!

"_CRACK!_ " I heard as the ceiling fell down on her petite body.

Then I saw the giant's hand come down from the ceiling. I had no idea what it was, and was frightened to death. However I did know one thing - that giant wanted to harm us… most likely kill us.

My mother screamed in agony, and then said, "Eric, leave me! Save yourself!"

"No mom! If I leave, you'll – you'll probably DIE!" I yelled, "I CANT LOSE YOU! I ALREADY LOST DAD!"

"LISTEN TO ME! WHETHER YOU STAY OR NOT, I AM DEAD", mom yelled, "MY BONES ARE CRUSHED. I CAN'T ESCAPE THAT MONSTER. BUT YOU CAN! NOW DO IT!"

"But-", I started.

"IT'S AN ORDER! DON'T MAKE MY DEATH BE FOR NOTHING!" she yelled.

I saw a tear slide down hear cheek. It was clear she didn't want to die, but I was only 12. I was too weak of a son to protect her, so I ran, tears streaming down.

I was so scared, but yet I looked back…

I saw the monster, the titanic brute, eat my mother.

The giant raised her to his mouth, and she screamed, "NOOOO!"

Those were her last words.

I will never forget my mother's terrified face. Or how her blood simply splattered all over the monster's mouth and on the ground, as if a messy kid was eating fruit.

The memory angers me, fills me with hatred for that, that wretched thing!

That was the day I made a promise. The promise that I would…

_KILL THE MONSTER WHO ATE MY MOTHER! _

_I WON'T EVEN SPARE ONE OF HIS KIND!_

I remember very little when escaping the giant. I hid in the forest until it was out of sight, than I made a beeline for the nearest neighbor we have. It took me about 2 hours to reach there. I told them what happened. The nice couple who lived there were dubious and horrified, but they believed me when they saw the expression on my face. They took me down to the city on horseback, saying they knew an elderly couple who could shelter me until I was 18.

The one thing I remembered clearly on the way to the city, was the crazy man's house. The eccentric scientist's house was completely destroyed.

"Wonder what happened to that madman…" the man said when he saw the house.

"An experiment gone wrong perhaps?" said his wife.

Funny thing was, it looked as if the house collapsed in on itself. Perhaps there really was an earthquake?

No, the couple's house wasn't damaged at all. I had a hunch at the time that the scientist had something to do about the appearance of the giant.

Later, I would find out if I was right or not…

**Year 740 – Unknown City in Germany**

It's been 5 years since the appearance of the giant, but I have not forgotten. It turns out that giants were rumoured to have been spotted around the city, but none of the sightings have been confirmed by the government.

I knew why. No one could confirm their appearance because everyone who encountered them is dead. Except me that is. I told them I really did see the giant, but they said that one witness with no evidence wasn't enough to consider it a problem. That won't stop me from preparing.

Although it's been 5 years and there hasn't been a single appearance of the giants since, I have been preparing. Every day I train and get work hard in order to get stronger, smarter and faster. Tomorrow I would be 18, and I will join the army. Not to defend my country, but to get stronger. To kill the giants.

I haven't told anyone about my ambitions, not even my caretakers. The elderly couple that takes care of me are really generous, saying that all I had to do was help out with the cleaning once in a while. I was okay with that. Cleaning reminds me back to the days of when I lived with mother… I still haven't taken off the face garment I wore when I used to clean back at mother's place. It's the last thing I have from those times.

The old woman who took care of me was called Rose. She was really nice, and did the primary cleaning of the house.

The old man was a banker. He made the money in order to support the household. I don't eat much, so it was enough. His name was Thompson-Rutherford, but everyone calls him "Trost".

I usually called them Mr. and Mrs., even though they said I didn't have to. It just felt right to call them that. They know tomorrow is my 18th birthday, and kept pestering me about what I plan to be after I was an adult. I told them it was a surprise, and they replied that if I needed a place to stay they were always open.

Today was the day I tell them of my plans.

"Hello Mr. – ", I started.

"Ah, stop callin' me that already! Just call me Trost boy! That's what everyone calls me!" Trost said humorously.

"Ok… so 'Trost', I will finally tell you what I am going to become when I turn 18" I said.

"HEY ROSE! COME HERE! THE BOY'S FINALLY GONNA TELL US WHAT HE'S GONNA DO WHEN HE BECOMES A MAN!" Trost gleefully shouted.

"In a second, honey," Rose replied, slightly sarcastic. Rose wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as Trost was. I could tell she was in the middle of cleaning something, because here hands still had dust on them when she came.

"So what have you decided Eric? You know we will always support you," Rose asked.

"I have decided, to become…" I started, but before I could finish, a loud rumbling occurred. As if it was an earthquake.

_No_, I thought, _it's not. It's the exact same sound as 5 years ago… the giants! They're back!_

_I won't lose these two. Not like mother!_

"GUYS! GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!" I shouted.

"O- Okay!" Trost nervously whimpered. I could tell he was frightened.

Rose didn't even say anything as she followed Trost outside, but I could tell by her expression that she was scared out of her mind. I can relate. I felt the same way 5 years ago.

Then I realized I made a mistake.

In the rural countryside, the area was vast and large, and there were trees close by where mother and I could've hidden. However, down here in the city, it is impossible to escape the giant. There would be no place to run. And there aren't any hiding places close enough for them to escape to. The nearest one is the alley 2 km east from here. The giant would be on them by then… I knew I had to stop them.

"WAIT! I MADE A MISTAKE! DON'T GO OUTSIDE!" I shouted

But it was too late. They had already opened the door. And outside, was the very same giant that ate my mother.


	2. Part 2 - Quest for Vengeance

_Part 2 – Quest for Vengeance_

The giant looked at Rose and Trost, and at this time I could see it better. About 15m tall, it had dark flat hair, covering only the top of its head. Its eyes were green, and rather small compared to his face. And its teeth were pure white, and so large I could see the sun's reflection in them.

And by the look of its eyes I could tell that it had no emotion. Although it was smiling, it had no look of meaning in its eyes. It just stared, as if curious, but more vaguely. Then I realized the sad truth. The giants ate humans… from pure instinct!

"AHHH!" Rose and Trost screamed.

The giant grabbed them both, and began to raise them to his mouth.

I just stood there, still, staring at the giant. No different from 5 years ago.

Rose looked frantically at me. "RUN ERIC! JUST RUN!" she yelled, "THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN HELP US AGAINST THIS _THING!_"

And the whole world fell again. _NOTHING HAS CHANGED!_ I thought, _I am still useless as ever… 5 years of experience didn't change a thing against these monsters!_

"Eric please!" Trost shouted, "Don't feel sorry for us! We're old and our lives won't last much longer! But you, you still have your whole life ahead of you! Just do me one favor before you leave… Tell me what you wanted to be when you turned 18!"

My expression turned grim, I slowly looked up at Trost and said, "I want to be… a soldier! I WILL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THESE GIANTS! I PROMISE YOU! NOT ONE OF THESE MONSTERS WILL BE LEFT!"

"It's good to know that you know what you want to be… goodbye Eric…" Trost said, tears streaming, yet a slight smile on his face.

"Make us proud Eric. Achieve your goals… it's not the end for you, but it is for us… now RUN!" Rose said, sentimentally.

As angry as it made me feel to run away again, I knew I didn't have a choice.

I started to run, but not before I saw to the giant shove Trost and Rose into his mouth.

I gaped in horror as I looked backwards as the giant's teeth closed in. Blood splattered all over the giant's face, and all over the ground. Legs and arms flying out of his mouth. And on the floor, I saw Rose's head.

I was enraged, but kept running. I knew that Rose and Trost would not have wanted me to stop.

But on that day, my resolved was strengthened.

_I PROMISE,_ I thought, _ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, EVERY ONE OF YOU GIANTS WILL DIE! I WON'T SPARE ONE OF YOU! AND AS FOR THE GIANT WHO ATE MY MOTHER AND NOW MY 2 CARETAKERS, I WILL MAKE HIM DIE IN THE MOST EXCRUCIATING WAY POSSIBLE!_

After escaping the city through a sewer, I made it to the edge of Poland. Then I looked back at the city.

There wasn't just one giant. There were tons! Hundreds of these monsters roamed the streets. Then I realized every giant had not only different appearances, but different sizes as well. Some were about as tall as a tree, while others were taller than buildings. But every one of them destroyed houses and… ate humans!

_None will be spared!_ I thought

**Year 740 – Unknown City in Poland**

I continued on walking for another couple hours. It was about 2 am when I finally found a big city. I was also finally 18, as today's my birthday.

I called the police, it was a good thing they spoke English. My family immigrated to Germany from England.

I told them what happened. It turns out they also heard about the catastrophe, but could not explain it.

Then I asked if they were going to do anything about it.

They said, "If you really want to know, ask the European military. They have a headquarters a few hours south from here"

Luckily they had the time to bring me there, so I was able to see the army.

3 scientists were in the discussion room as I walked in.

"We are REALLY sorry, we never meant for the experiment to – ", started one of the scientists.

"Hello? This is the nearby city's police department. This young man would like to ask you some questions", the policeman interrupted.

"Ah yes, we are happy to answer any questions… what are they regarding?" asked the commander.

"It's about the giants… that appeared in a small city in Germany" I said.

Everyone looked uncomfortable, especially the scientists.

"Oh, um… you better let the scientists explain", the commander replied.

The scientist who was speaking earlier wiped the sweat off his brow before he began to speak. I could tell he was nervous.

"Well, you see… the 'giants' are actually humans who have consumed or have been injected with a serum created by a rogue scientist. We called it Project T.I.T.A.N" the scientist began.

Another taller scientist continued, "This rogue scientist was an orphan who nobody has seen since the university he applied for rejected him… I believed he lived in a small countryside in Germany. Anyway, his house was found destroyed, but his work was not – "

I cut him off, "I know who you mean! 5 years ago, I lived with my mother in a German countryside! There was a crazy scientist that lived a few hours south. On that day my mother was eaten by a giant, and on the way to the city, I noticed the crazy scientist's house was destroyed!"

"Wait," a pudgy looking scientist said, shocked, "you were NEIGHBORS with this scientist?"

"Yes", I replied, "What exactly was the purpose of his serum?"

The scientist who spoke first replied, "We… were not so certain of that. But we were curious so we took all 6 of his serums and tested the serum labeled 'Transforming Liquid" on some animals, it didn't do anything. However, when we tested it on a human corpse… A gigantic humanlike body with similar features to the corpse formed, as if being formed from the very flesh of the corpse. And it was alive. We had to use a couple bombs to destroy it. Luckily the experiment was conducted in a small test area, so no one was hurt. It turns out that the serum transforms human flesh into very large bodies that can be controlled by a human host. However, if the human loses control, or had no conscious to begin with, like the corpse, the body would have a mind of its own. For some strange reason, its instinct was to attack humans, as it continuously attack us, and almost broke through the test area's thick glass walls. We had no idea its intention was to eat humans."

The tall scientist continued, "We named the serum Project T.I.T.A.N. T.I.T.A.N is an abbreviation for Tremendous Invincible Terrifying Atrocious Notoriety. So essentially you can call these beasts 'Titans'".

_Titans…_ I thought, _a much more suitable name for these monsters… I think I will use it rather than "Giants"_.

I still was not satisfied, so I asked "Then why were there titans all over the city? And how come they appeared 5 years ago, but didn't appear again until now?"

The pudgy scientist replied, "Well, we don't know anything about 5 years ago, except that that's when we found the house and the test serums. However as for the appearance of them now… We can explain. You see, someone stole the serums. We didn't see who took it, but we did notice that almost immediately after, titans began appearing all over a small city in Germany, near here. The thief most likely dumped it into a water supply so that almost the whole city would turn into titans. There were 5 other serums as well, that we haven't explored."

The first scientist continued, "The other serums were labelled: 'Detector', 'Translation', 'Shifter', 'Coordinate', and the 'Generator'".

The tall scientist explained further, "To be honest with you, after the near catastrophe obtained while testing the 'Transforming Liquid' serum, we didn't have the bravery to test the 5 other serums, so what they do we have absolutely no idea… we are really sorry about the appearance of the titans all over the city… It is such a tragedy. I am surprised you managed to get out alive."

"This wasn't the first time… I have escaped them twice," I said.

Suddenly, an idea about the titan that appeared 5 years ago fabricated in my mind.

"Wait! What if the titan that ate my mother 5 years ago, was the scientist testing his experiment on himself? He probably lost control over the titan body, and for some reason, its instinct was to eat humans!" I stated.

"Actually, that theory is very plausible..." the first scientist agreed.

"Agreed," the commander said.

"But I swear that the titan who ate my two caretakers in the city… was the same one that appeared 5 years ago," I said, "How can this be possible?"

"Well," The tall scientist replied, "There is a possibility that you were hallucinating, but if what you say is true… then we have valuable information about these monsters."

"And what," the pudgy scientist asked, "Would that be?"

The tall scientist eyes gleamed behind his glasses, a serious look on his face, "These monsters don't require any food to live. There has been no reports of titan attacks for 5 years, if what this young man says is true. This means that the giant survived 5 years without eating any humans. And they had absolutely no intention of eating animals, as we had some animals inside the test area when that titan appeared. It is only aggressive towards humans. This means, they must be fueled by another source, like the sun."

"Solar powered humongous beasts… Perhaps the scientist was trying to make the ultimate soldier," the first scientist speculated.

"Very possible. Thank you for the information, although I am afraid we have no more info on these titans. Nor how to transform them back into humans…" the tall scientist said.

"Well, if you have no place to stay, we can support you as long as you work for us… there are lots of shelters in the city – "the commander started.

"No!" I interrupted, "I don't want to be a civilian… I want to join the European army!"

"But why?" the commander asked.

That was an easy question. I answered, "I need to get stronger… to fight the titans!"

_I have to get revenge… I need to avenge Rose, Trost, and my mother, Maria._

_Watch out titans… your all going to die._


	3. Part 3 - Training

_Part 3 – Training_

Just then, the army's highest ranked general walked in.

"Well, well, well… you want to join the army huh?" he asked.

I looked at him, anger and ferocity in my eyes.

"Yes! I have to kill all the titans! THEY ATE MY MOTHER! THEN MY TWO CARETAKERS! I'M GONNA SLASH THEM TO ITSY BITSY PIECES, THAN EAT THEM!" I shouted. Suddenly I didn't feel like the quiet kid I used to be.

"Whoa! Sadistic much? Calm down kid, we'll let you join. However, we don't really have a way to fight these monsters… it's the scientists who made this whole problem's job to solve this issue," he said, looking accusingly at the scientists.

"We're really sorry! We protected the serum with the most powerful technologies. We have no idea how the thief managed to slip in!" the first scientist apologized.

The tall scientist put a hand on his shoulder. "Not to worry, we _will_ find this thief, and make him pay…" he said.

"Just don't kill him… I want a piece of him too… "I said, not noticing I looked extremely sadistic and crazy saying that.

"I like this kid! He's got guts!" the general said, "My name's Chlorba. General Chlorba. Nice to meet you!"

The commander was worried. "Ah yes, we better find a place for this… young man, to stay! He clearly is a… special recruit," he said.

"Don't underestimate him Nedlay! Vengeance is a strong force," the general said, with a bit of humour, "We'll let him stay at our main dormitories."

One of the people sitting at the army table looked up, and said, "I believe we need to create a type of 'group' for fighting these monsters, at least until the scientists find a cure."

"Ah yes, I believe we have information that can help you fight the monsters…" the tall scientist said, "The titans' human host is in the nape of the neck. If you can slash that part off, perhaps the whole creature will die…"

"Umm, how exactly will we get to the neck!?" the pudgy scientist asked.

"Leave that to us. The military will handle it!" General Chlorba said.

And so the training began for me, Eric Yeager. I went into my dormitory and met my roommate.

"Hello" He said, "I'm Arthur Arlert! What's your name?"

"I'm Eric Yeager" I said.

"Cool. I am new to the military you know. I only came here because my parents were eaten by titans…" he said.

"How did you know they were called –"I began to ask.

"Yeah I was eavesdropping on the conversation. These titans seem like strange creatures don't you think? It's like someone wanted to end humanity…" Arthur said.

"One of them ate my mother 5 years ago… I will get revenge" I said.

"5 years ago? The first titans were spotted just today! How's that possible?" Arthur said.

"I don't know, but it has something to do with the scientist who lived a few miles away. I saw his house on the way to the city – it looked like it closed in on itself." I said.

"I think I have a theory, for some reason that scientist must have changed himself into a titan, using the exact same serum those 3 scientists were testing. I don't know anything about that scientist… tell me what he was like, if you know of course" Arthur asked.

"Well he was a little, 'off', if you know what I mean. He never leaves his house except to collect strange ingredients, such as dead leaves or pig fat. One time I saw him strangle a squirrel and steal some kid's doll. There is definitely something wrong with that old coop." I said.

"I am not sure what shaped him to be so mad, but if you could tell me that'd be great" Arthur said.

"Well my mother said it was because of this university he never got into…" I said.

"Possible, but implausible. I doubt anyone would go through so much trouble because of some old university. There must've been something else that happened, something so rage inducing, that would make him want to exterminate humanity, or at least if that's why he made the titans, which is what I am assuming." Arthur said.

I realized this Arthur kid was really bright. Although he looks a little wimpy for a military soldier, he might have chance in the strategic side of military. He had rather long blond hair that went to his shoulders and had blue eyes. He was also a bit shorter than me, which was rare as I am not that tall.

"Wait, so if you don't think that the university is the reason, then what is?" I asked.

"It must've been something like having your family and loved ones taken from you. Only something so devastating would make someone want to end humanity" Arthur said.

"Oh well, but right now we must focus on the matter at hand. We have to train to be able to stop these titans" I said.

"Yeah. Let's get a good night's sleep" Arthur said.

So I went to bed and didn't wake up until someone barged into my room and forced me to wake up.

"GET UP KID! OR ELSE NO BREAKFAST AND 500 PUSH-UPS!" a man yelled, then he walked out.

"Yeah I am new to this place too, so I don't like being woken up like that either" Arthur yawned.

"Whatever. I just want to get stronger to kill some titans" I said drowsily.

"Your pretty violent… just saying" Arthur murmured.

We went into the training court, where I was approached by a beautiful girl with long blond hair and light blue eyes.

"Hello I'm Krista Lenz. New to this place huh?" she asked.

"Yeah. Do you know Arthur?" I asked.

"Yeah he just joined last week. I see you guys are friends already. Well over there is the newbies training area" she pointed to a place with a lot of people struggling to climb over a fence.

"Ok thanks Krista" I said.

As we were walking away, Arthur whispered to me, "Dude, how are you able to talk to her so confidently?"

"What do you mean?" I asked. I had no idea what he meant.

"Don't you get nervous around girls?" he asked

"Um not really. Unless you count those times when I was scared of my old caretaker Rose getting mad at me for not cleaning dishes" I said, laughing a bit.

"I wish I had your guts" he said.

"YOU TWO THERE! STOP SOCIALIZING AND GET TO WORK. WE ARE INITIATING TITAN FIGHTING SQUAD 1! YOU GUYS ARE FIRST PEOPLE IN ALL OF MILITARY TO DO THIS, SO BE PROUD!" a commander yelled.

"Ok commander…" I began.

"IT'S LIEUTENANT! LIEUTENANT KARANESE!" he yelled.

"Alright lieutenant Karanese" I said, "What are we doing today?"

"BECAUSE THESE TITANS ARE SO BIG, WE HAVE TO OUT SPEED THEM. I WILL BE TRAINING YOU IN MOVING QUICKLY AND REFLEXES," he yelled.

"Ok, and also sir, why do you always yell?" I asked.

"ARE YOU ARGUING WITH ME MISTER!?" he asked.

"No sir, I will start my training" I said.

"YOU BETTER!" he yelled.

I heard him whisper "Kids these days…" as he walked away.

"Whoa dude, if you don't want to get killed on your first day I suggest you show a bit more respect!" Arthur said.

"It's alright. I wasn't THAT rude" I said.

We walked over to the track where a bunch of people around our age were running.

"Well, let's get started" I said.

We began to run as fast as we could. I was a bit faster, but he eventually caught up after I became a bit fatigued. I realize we were a lot slower than everyone around us, with the exception of this short bald kid.

"So tired…" he panted.

"YOU THERE! QUINCY! GET MOVING!" Lt. Karanese yelled.

"I'm too tired sir!" he said, almost out of breath.

"ALRIGHT THEN! LET'S SEE HOW TIRED YOU ARE AFTER I TELL YOU YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CLEAN THE DISHES TONIGHT AS PUNISHMENT FOR DISOBEYING ME! AGAIN!" Lt. Karanese yelled.

"Wait Lieutenant," I said, "I'm the newest one here, and I don't find it fair how you're making him clean the dishes, when I want to SO MUCH!"

Arthur looked at me with a "what are you doing" look.

"ARE YOU BEING IMPUDENT WITH ME ERIC? I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU. YOU'RE CLEANING THE DISHES _AND_ THE FLOORS, FOR THE NEXT 3 WEEKS!" he yelled.

After training Arthur nudged me. "Dude what were you thinking!?" he asked frantically, "Didn't I say something about showing more respect?"

"Relax Arthur. I'd rather clean everything than have that poor boy do it" I said.

"Thanks" Quincy, the wimpy boy, said.

"You're welcome. I'm Eric" I said, "You don't have to worry about it, I usually clean a lot anyways"

"Anyway thank you a lot. I'm Quincy" he said.

"Yeah we heard the Lieutenant say that" Arthur said.

"Enjoy your first day of training?" Krista asked us.

"Oh hi, um yeah he did, a lot, and yeah…" Arthur said.

"Ok…" she said.

"Yeah it was fine. But now I have to clean the dishes and the floors for 3 weeks…" I said.

"Glad you enjoyed it. Got into trouble with the Lieutenant eh?" she asked.

"Yeah that guy never chills" I said.

"Anyway the dining room is over there" she said, "see you there!"

"Man, you really have courage" Arthur said, "I get lucky if I can say 'hi' to a girl like that."

"Dude you have to calm down. They are just people like us!" I said.

"Except they don't have – "a blond haired boy that appeared from the doorway began.

Arthur coughs, "Yeah, not necessary John".

"I was just going to say they don't have a sense of humour, not a pe – "John began.

"JOHN!" Arthur yelled.

"Sorry… anyway thanks for saving Quincy, Eric. He probably couldn't have handled so much work" John said.

"Ok John, let's return the favour by showing Eric around" Quincy said.

"Yes we should" said John.

John led me to the bathrooms and told us not to go into the girls' bathroom.

"Ok John, I think he knew that…" Arthur began.

"What, I never even knew boys had to go to different bathrooms than girls… why do they anyway?" I began.

"Well, it's because they don't have – "John began.

"JOHN! SAVE IT FOR HEALTH CLASS DANG IT!" Arthur shouted.

"… Like we do…" John finished, pointing to a specific part of his lower body, "If you know what I mean Eric."

"Uh, I have no idea what you mean", I said.

Quincy, Arthur and John all face palmed.

Then John led me to the dining rooms.

"We don't have much good to eat. Usually it's baked or roasted potatoes. Sometimes we have corn. And once a month we have steak for everyone" John said.

"You would think the military would get better nutrition…" Arthur muttered.

"I'm okay with it" I said.

"Well now that we're even, let me just say that new people here don't have a chance" John said.

"Yeah you're hopeless Arthur and Eric" Quincy said.

"Looks who's talking Quincy, you can't even run 2 laps" Arthur stated.

"Hey guys, that wasn't very nice!" I said.

"We're not nice" John and Quincy laughed, and walked away.

Arthur just shook his head.

"I should've warned you, John is a bit of a prick" Arthur said.

"It's fine" I replied.

"DINNER TIME LITTLE CHILDREN!" a woman yelled from the kitchen.

All the cadets ran to the dining room.

"Why does she call us children?" I asked.

"Most of us aren't really sure. She's a little crazy" Arthur said.

"Okay young'uns, enjoyed freshly baked potatoes and beans!" she yelled.

I sat with Arthur, John and Quincy.

"Why are you sitting with us after we were so mean to you?" John said.

"You weren't all mean. You showed us around first. But nonetheless, don't think we're friends" I said.

"Good" John smirked, "Being friends with you is real shameful"

"The real reason why we chose to sit with you is because you two are the only cadets who don't look like they'll beat the living crap out of us" Arthur said.

"Hey! You calling us weak?" Quincy said.

"You really don't want me to answer that…" Eric said.

"Actually, it is very true. Look at Ryan and Misa. They look like they are ready to punch through a steel wall" Arthur said, pointing at a boy with brown, mushroom-like hair, and a girl with short black hair on the other side of the room. They weren't sitting close together, but both look like they were the strongest cadets.

Ryan had a cloak concealing him, and although he was short, I could see no expression in his eyes. He just stared at everyone. What made him seem so powerful was the fact that no one sat next to him, and people were scared to be near him.

Misa was an oriental girl that had a serious expression on her face. You could practically see her muscles from under her shirt. She was definitely someone you wouldn't want to make mad.

"Man, those two ARE gnarly" I said.

After dinner, Arthur and I took a quick wash and went to the dormitories.

I suddenly collapsed on the bed.

_I can't believe it. I went through the whole day with my confident façade. I didn't show them my quiet side… I talked so confidently to them… how? I had always been quiet and afraid to talk… Maybe it's because I feel as if I belong here. I don't feel left out as I did in normal society…_

Arthur looked at me and grinned.

"Ha! Today really took it out of you eh Eric?" he said.

"Yeah… it was rough." I said.

**Year 742 – Outskirts of Germany**

We had already trained for 2 years. Two more cadet squads to fight titans were made – "Titan Killing Squad 2" and "Titan Killing Squad 3". We were the eldest squad, and ready to be the first members of a special branch of military – the "Titan Hunters". Arthur hadn't improved his physical body much, but his strategic knowledge was enough to surpass a lieutenant.

I had improved my physical fitness, and am trained in basic fighting maneuvers. The maneuvers we learned were specialized for dodging and precision. We still have no good way to hit the titan's weak spot, so we are hoping we can at least injure it or even have it bleed to death from another part of the body. I decided to be a double sword wielder.

John became a double sword wielder as well. It was the basic weapons used by most of the military. Because the titans are so large, armor is practically useless. So we hold to swords and carry as little weight as possible in order to dodge titan attacks.

Quincy became a catapult firer. He is too wimpy to be in the front lines.

Krista became an archer. She was very accurate and was probably the best long-ranged archer I have ever seen.

Ryan and Misa became double sword wielders like everyone else. Although they were in the front lines, as they were quickest and strongest.

Although, the thing that separated me from the other soldiers was a knife. Yes, it may seem small, but this knife is very important to me. It was my mother's. And it was made of a special material, iron bamboo. It was able to cut through anything, as long as it could find a way to penetrate it first. I know it is something very small and insignificant, but nonetheless it was a back-up in case my swords were lost.

Right now we are on the outskirts of the city that the titans destroyed. There are many titans still here, but they have migrated. As well, the thief must've infected more cities, because more titans began to appear in other cities.

"Alright everyone. We will start PROJECT: RECONQUEST FROM TITANS with catapult fire. READY? 3… 2… 1…_ FIRE!_" Lt. Karanese yelled.

Catapults began to throw rocks and even some bombs at the titans.

One titan had his head knocked off. Another had half its torso blown away.

The titan who had his head knocked off didn't get back up. However, the titan who had half its torso blown away kept walking.

"WHAT? THESE TITANS AREN'T STOPPED BY HALF OF IT'S BODY BEING BLOWN AWAY?" Lt. Karanese yelled in surprise. "KEEP FIRING! AIM FOR THE HEAD!"

More rocks began flying. The smaller titans had their heads knocked off. However, if it didn't completely blow the head to pieces, or didn't even hit the head, it just regenerated the blown away body parts.

"WE NEED MORE ACCURACY! THESE BEASTS ARE ALMOST INVINCIBLE!" Lt. Karanese shouted.

Krista shot her arrow right at the titan's throat. It didn't even cut the titan.

"What? A steel arrow flying 120km/h isn't enough to even cut a titan?" she realized, shocked.

"FRONT LINES! RUN IN!" Lt. Karanese shouted.

Misa ran in with two swords sticking out. Her squad followed her.

Ryan ran in with his squad to the other direction.

Quincy shot a bomb at a large titan. It exploded and his head was blown to bits. It fell on the floor, dead.

A rock hit another 12m tall titan. It only blew apart half of his face, which quickly regenerated.

I suddenly noticed how freakish some of these titans looked. One had eyes so small they were like slits. Another waddled from side to side, arms flailing like a demented penguin. Another crawled on the ground as if it couldn't walk. Some were smiling, some were mad. Either way, they were all extremely frightening.

"AIM YOUR ROCKS AT THE SMALL TITANS! SAVE YOUR BOMBS FOR THE LARGE ONES!" Lt. Karanese shouted.

Misa and her squad tried to cut a titan's feet. The sword broke.

"How?!" I could hear her yell.

"RETREAT MISA'S SQUAD!" Lt. Karanese shouted.

They began to run away, but the titan managed to claim a poor soldier who lagged behind.

"HELP ME-!" he shouted, but was cut off when the titan's jaws closed.

All the cadets trembled in fear at the first death.

As his blood splattered to the ground, my heart clenched. _These beasts have claimed another life! I will get revenge!_

Arthur frantically shouted, "RYAN'S SQUAD! GET BACK!"

Lt. Karanese shouted "HEY LISTEN KID! I AM SCARED OF LOSING SOLDIERS TOO BUT I AM IN CHARGE –"

"No!" Arthur said, "They have to retreat! If they engage the titans, they will end up dying!"

Lt. Karanese looked surprised as he realized the young cadets judgment was correct.

"ALRIGHT RYAN'S SQUAD! RETREAT!" he shouted.

Ryan's squad quickly ran back.

The catapult launchers looked worried.

"WHAT'S THE MATTER!? FIRE!" Lt. Karanese shouted.

"WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE AMMO LEFT!" a man shouted.

"EVERYONE! FALL AWAY FROM THE TITANS!" Lt. Karanese commanded. I could sense fear in his voice.

We got on horsebacks and started racing away, but it was no use.

The titans were faster.

Lt. Karanese had an uneasy look on his face.

"YOUR LIVES ARE HIGHER PRIORITY THAN MINE!" he said.

He ran out of the cart, got on a horse and started going the other way.

"NO! LIEUTENANT!" I shouted.

"DAD! DON'T DO IT!" Misa shouted.

_The lieutenant is her dad!?_

"GOODBYE SWEETY! TELL MOMMY I LOVE HER!" He shouted back. Those were his last words.

He ran straight past the titans. They all started to follow him, leaving us time to get away.

"DAD NO!" Misa shouted.

Two minutes later, we were too far to see it very clearly. But when I looked really closely, I could see a titan lift the lieutenant to its mouth. Blood splattered everywhere. That was as clear as I could see.

A tear streamed down Misa's eye.

"Why dad, why?" She muttered.

Everyone bowed their heads silently for their fallen lieutenant.

"We won't let his death be in vain!" I shouted.

Misa looked at me, tears in her eyes.

"WE WILL KILL ALL OF THESE TITANS! WE WON'T LET THE LIEUTENANT'S SACRIFICE BE IN VAIN!" I shouted.

Everyone shouted with me, "FOR THE LIEUTENANT!"

I no longer felt like a quiet kid. I have changed my attitude. I went from quiet Eric Yeager, to daring, courageous and determined titan killer.

_I will make sure they all die! WE WILL WIN THIS WAR!_

**Year 742 – In the woods in the outskirts of Germany**

_**Outside of Eric's Vision**_

"Foolish humans…" a man said, looking at the soldiers attempting to fight the titans, "None of them have ascended yet… they will never win"

He slunk away deeper into the woods.


End file.
